Recently a customer asked me what deadheading was. In the industry we assume that everyone knows what that is. I’m glad that person asked me because how many people do not know and are embarrassed to ask?

Deadheading is a broad term used in the industry to describe a general way to keep a plant fresh looking and keep plants in bloom. Deadheading is a process of pruning by which old growth and seed heads are removed from the plant to promote new growth and reflowering. Deadheading is a very simple. As blooms fade, pinch or cut off the flower stems below the spent flowers and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves.

The point of a flower's life is to grow and form seeds so it can reproduce.  If you deadhead, the plant can’t set seed so it keeps on trying to reproduce by continuing to  flower. If you don’t deadhead, the plant will set seed and quit flowering. This makes it harder to get it back into flower, even with fertilizer.

 In the world of annuals, new genetics are producing plants that are sterile. If the plant is sterile, the plant can not set seed, but keeps on trying by producing more flowers. Deadheading the sterile plants is not necessary but is encouraged to keep them fresh looking.

The end result is having plants that perform better than the ones available in the past -  making us better gardeners!